The club owner has also jumped to the defence of former boss Graham Drury, who put the team together during the winter.

And Phillips is urging fans to stay behind the Brummies and has revealed that he will be looking at how he can improve the team when the new set of averages appears.

He said: “The riders are not performing badly out of choice and are beating themselves up about it as they are capable of so much better.

“While I respect the right of all supporters to criticise, remember it knocks confidence even further and, as I said before, this is such a dangerous sport, sometimes they need encouragement not criticism.

“If that attitude ever changes to less than 100 per cent, then they all know it is over as far as Birmingham goes.

“I have to say, in defence of Graham Drury, the new rules were not in place by the time our team was assembled so, to be fair, it is more bad luck than judgment that we had an all-round team rather than a top-strong one and seem to be struggling as a result.

“The new averages will be out shortly and I will then have a much better idea going forward, but I would still argue that a strong all-round team can be successful. It is just that we haven’t been strong all round so far.”

The Selco Brummies face two daunting away trips this week as they head to reigning champions Poole tomorrow before travelling to 2012 champions Swindon the following night.

They face Wolverhampton in a derby clash at Perry Barr on May 7 as their next home meeting.

Skipper Danny King said: “It’s a tough schedule for us but we’re all desperate to get things right sooner rather than later.”